ALICE 4 by AEI Robot vs Martian by UniX AI: Review

Both ALICE 4 and Martian share identical dimensions of 160 x 50 x 30 cm, reflecting a similarly sized humanoid form. ALICE 4 is lighter at 45 kg compared to Martian’s 50 kg, which may influence portability and handling. AEI Robot’s use of proprietary gearless linear actuators in ALICE 4 aims for quiet, precise movement, while Martian emphasizes robustness suited for dynamic environments.

Martian significantly surpasses ALICE 4 in speed, moving at up to 3 m/s (10.8 km/h) compared to ALICE 4’s 0.8 m/s. Both robots share advanced indoor navigation capabilities including indoor SLAM, visual SLAM, and LiDAR mapping, enabling autonomous navigation in complex environments. Martian’s faster mobility makes it more suitable for logistics and manufacturing tasks requiring quick movement.

Both robots employ comprehensive sensor arrays comprising RGB cameras, depth cameras, LiDAR, ultrasonic sensors, IMU, gyroscope, force sensors, and temperature sensors. ALICE 4’s additional stereo cameras and force sensors (FSR) support delicate manipulation tasks, while Martian’s sensor suite underpins its autonomous navigation and environmental interaction at higher speeds.

ALICE 4 supports teleoperation, autonomous control, and imitation learning facilitated by onboard NVIDIA Jetson Orin NX processing, enabling complex pick-and-place and VR teleoperation workflows. Martian focuses on autonomous and learned behaviors, optimized for continuous operation in logistics, manufacturing, and household roles without teleoperation dependency.

ALICE 4 offers a battery lifespan of approximately 3 years with about 8 hours of daily runtime and a 4-hour charging time. Martian extends battery life to between 3 and 5 years, featuring greater endurance for longer operational deployments, beneficial in industrial and service settings requiring sustained activity.

ALICE 4’s strength lies in research, service applications, and workflows demanding precision and human-robot interaction such as VR teleoperation and imitation learning. Martian targets logistics, manufacturing, household assistance, and broader service industries, leveraging its speed and longer battery life for intensive operational roles.

Both robots utilize ROS2, proprietary software, Python, C++, and APIs, ensuring flexibility and developer support for customization and integration. This common software foundation promotes interoperability and facilitates a range of applications across industrial and service domains.

ALICE 4 and Martian incorporate force limiting, collision detection, emergency stop mechanisms, and collaborative modes to ensure safe operation around humans. These safety systems are critical for deployment in environments where close human-robot interaction occurs.

ALICE 4 is offered at an estimated price range of $50,000 to $100,000, positioning it as a mid-range humanoid robot with a focus on precision and interaction. Martian's estimated price ranges from $100,000 to $150,000, reflecting its higher speed, extended battery life, and suitability for demanding operational environments.